On this CD, "... Saval shows the evolution of the royal orchestra,
from the colorfull sonorities of the Renaissance (cornetts and
sackbuts) to the period preceding that of Lully..."
"This playful reconstruction provides uswith moments of pure
joy... and pure instants of mystery." "With plentiful of colors and
a few soloists in a state of grace (Manfredo Kraemer - violin),
Savall produces a never ending firework. Rarely has the 17th Century
sounded so luminous, so flamboyant."

“Even though percussions are almost
continuously present, Savall finds his inspiration in the melody,
and not only in the Pleurs d’Orphée: also in those of a
gaillarde or a gavotte. Everything is like a song, like a thought, a
domestic expressiveness. Everything is noble tenderness. Even in the
“Charivaris” and “Les Gascons” of 1627, the nostalgia
of a forgotten ballet prevails over the joy of a recovered ballet”.
”This CD entitled “Orchestra of Louis XIII” refers less to
the first steps of the Bourbons than to the allegorical and dreamy
world of Savall. This musette, the Nimphes de la Grenouillère
are meant to be rustic sounding, but to no avail. What else could we
expect with Manfredo Kraemer leading the 24 Violons, with
Marc Hantaï playing the recorder, with Marcel Ponsele the oboe and
Rolf Lislevand attending at the luths? *
Nothing but the most sumptuous sonority, the most developed
musicality and the most subtle virtuosity. Nothing can affect our
pleasure, not even a few discordant notes among the violins. A
pleasure for the ears of course. But also a pleasure for the eyes:
blue silks, reddish taffetas, brownish velvets, …(etc.), one need
only find the film producer who will incorporate all these elements
into a royal bouquet”,

This CD is made of excerpts
selected from a « Collection of several Airs composed for
Coronations, Weddings and Other Solemn Events during the reigns of
François 1er, Henri III, Henri IV et Louis XIII (1690)” and
collected by Philidor the Elder
1.

“Savall’s
selection is devoted essentially to the reign of Louis XIII, a
period he had already covered in a previous recording dedicated to
the music of Guillaume Dumanoir (Astrée 9908) *.
As it is customary with Savall, the orchestration of the works is
extremely subtle, it is given a first class interpretation. One can
already perceive glances of the forthcoming spectacles of
Versailles, with their sumptuous balls and festivities… A recording
magnificently produced and coming with a splendid liner notes”.

1.
André Philidor, the Elder, is known has having been the royal
librarian, organizer and copyist (1684-1729) of court music.
(Companion to Baroque Music)

Goldberg #
21(12/2002)

Appréciation

Evaluation

Goldberg a cessé de publier
avec le # 54
~~~~~~
Goldberg is no longer available.
# 54 was the last issue.

"Following in the wake
of a lovely album devoted to the orchestra of Louis XIV, Jordi
Savall's (recording) presents a survey of the music heard at the
court of his predecessor Louis XIII".

"The cornerstone of Savall's source, a late seventeenth-century
manuscript copied by Philidor l'Aîné, is the Concert that the
'Bande' of '24 violinists and 12 great oboes' played before Louis
XIII in 1627".

The reviewer claims that "the Concert des Nations' reading of these
works.... is a treat that should not be missed". He adds: "it goes
without saying that this recording reconfirms Savall's special
affinity with seventeenth-century French music, whether it be of the
'chamber' or the 'chapelle'".

Reviewer: Peter
Loewen
A short excerpt:”The
performances are absolutely delightful. One always has high
expectations of Jordi Savall and Le Concert des Nations. Their
performances are full of power, excitement, and playful figuration.
The sound of the cornets, oboes, and sackbuts is very impressive.
Some of the musicians have virtuosic skill. The ensemble of the 24
Violons plays delicately and expressively.”

“At first the
music here may seem somewhat inferior to composers of the next
generation: Lully, Couperin, and Rameau. But that would be an unfair
comparison. Most of the music was composed for light entertainment
and ceremonies where music was not the focus. The familiar music of
Lully, Couperin, and Rameau was composed for the theatre and private
chamber, where music was more integral to the form of entertainment.
In any case, some of the music here is filled with the same sort of
precious affectation one associates with the later composers. The
pavanes and the movement titled ‘Les Ombres’ are glorious,
full of the grave majesty one associates with the French Overture.
The music implies the use of appogiaturas and mordent-like ornaments
that were typical of the French baroque. These contrast with the
lighter, rustic-sounding branle, gaillardes, Bourrée and muzette on
the program.”

"This is yet another
imaginative piece of programming from Jordi Savall."

"...those who relish the
color and sheer musical vitality Savall and his accomplished forces
bring to such programs will not be disappointed. Yet, to my mind,
the approach to much of the music is flawed. The problem is an old
one—the ubiquity of Pedro Estevan’s drumming, which here, as on
previous occasions, is surely far too often out of place or
over-obtrusive."

"I’m sorry to labor this point, but it does mar seriously
what would otherwise have been a valuable and fascinating disc for
students of the period."

"Recommended to unquestioning Savall enthusiasts; others
should be more wary. I’m darned sure that most of the time this is
not the orchestra of Louis XIII as the monarch himself would have
heard it."

"Most of what’s heard here comes from a
manuscript with the mouthful of a title Collection of several old
Airs composed for Coronations, Weddings and other Solemn events
during the reigns of Henry III, Henry IV and Louis XIII, including
several Concerts for their royal entertainment, gathered together in
an anthology by Philidor the Elder in 1690. The music is arranged on
the disc by periods and occasions: items from the Dauphin’s infancy;
pieces for his coronation on October 17, 1610; music for his
November 28, 1615, marriage; a 1627 concert for the King by the 24
Violins and the 12 Great Oboes; and selections from the
above-mentioned miscellany of Royal Music from 1634 to 1650. The
material covers multiple styles; pieces such as the muzette Ma
Mignone and the two short pieces Branle en faubourdon and Gaillarde
en suitte are practically folk music, while Pavane pour les hautbois
fait au Sacre du Roy is Renaissance in flavor, and the Italian
sarabande Al’impero d’amore is quintessentially Baroque. Similarly,
the instrumentation varies considerably. Le Concert des Nations is
split into four groups of musicians that are mixed and matched:
Ensemble of the Cornets and Grand Oboes (which also includes
sackbuts, bassoons, musette [bagpipe], and flute); Ensemble of the
24 Violins (including concertino); Ensemble of the Grand Oboes (including
trumpets, flutes, and bassoons); and the Bass Continuos and
Percussions (harpsichord, organ, guitar, theorbo, and drums).
Familiar names such as Marcel Ponseele, Marc Hantaï, and Rolf
Lislevand are among those delivering these lilting performances.
While a general upbeat perkiness dominates, the frequent changes of
timbre and the gradual evolution of the styles prevent a sense of
sameness from taking over this delightful program."

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